


Comfort at 30,000 Feet

by Driftwoodlady



Category: No Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 11:24:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13145670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Driftwoodlady/pseuds/Driftwoodlady
Summary: A human need, a short story and what happens at 30,000 ft





	Comfort at 30,000 Feet

I have been having a reoccurring vision. It’s not a dream.   
But it plays over and over in my mind.   
I have booked a solo trip half way around the world, something   
I felt I had to do.   
As I board the 747 Dreamliner, I’m happy that I splurged   
on first class on such a long flight. My boarding pass says   
18 hours and the thought makes me sleepy just thinking about it.   
On top of that it’s a night flight, I guess you could   
call it the Red Eye?  
The flight attendant shows me to my seat, the aisle since first class is two by two.   
You are already seated, your glasses half way down your nose. As I sit down we  
exchange hellos and a quick smile.   
You shuffle papers for a minute and then apologize for the racket.   
I softly assure you that you are not bothering me.   
The cabins lights are dimmed for take off and I settle into my   
leather seat.   
As we lift off and slice through the night air seeking our   
cruising altitude my eye lids grow heavy and I start to drift off.   
I didn’t notice that the arm rest was up between our seats.   
As I relax I naturally lean in your direction and my head ends up  
resting on your shoulder. Your first reaction is that this feels so familiar,   
so comfortable that you resist the urge to wake me. Instead your arm   
envelopes around me and you pull me in as close as two airline seats   
will allow. I’m dozing now and my hand glides over to rest on your chest. I hear your heartbeat  
and it lulls me back to sleep.   
You turn your head and gently kiss my forehead, stroking my hair with your other hand for a moment.   
Two strangers caught up in a window of time, providing what was needed maybe  
what is wanted too. Comfort, a human need as old as time itself. And so we slept in our cocoon, sharing an embrace for hours, waking and talking softly and   
than returning to that warm place to sleep again.   
The captain finally made the announcement to prepare for landing.   
I stretched and resumed my space in my own seat. After we landed you leaned over and  
whispered “ thank you”. I just lost my wife to cancer and whenever we used to fly  
she always fell asleep with me like that when we traveled.   
A tear rolled down my cheek. What was her name I queried? Leah, you answered,  
her name was Leah.


End file.
